Calling a longtime occupation assessment tax a "nuisance" and "unfair," Pennridge School District officials will ask voters in November whether they should replace the tax with what they believe is a more equitable earned income tax. "The main reason to eliminate the occupation tax is a fairness issue," Pennridge Assistant Business Administrator Frank Sheaffer told about 20 residents who attended a 30-minute public hearing Monday night on the earned...

I thank Gov. Corbett for continuing to answer questions about fracking, as reported in the April 19 Morning Call coverage of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors meeting. Gov. Corbett keeps talking about natural gas drilling helping the economy, but when the gas is gone, the economy has to go to something else. What will be left is environmental destruction — without resources to clean up the mess. He asked township supervisors in Hershey if we should "put an extra tax on Hershey because they are making chocolate?"

Suspended Panther Valley Superintendent Raymond Aucker didn't pay his school taxes last year, according to a recently filed lawsuit and courthouse records. The school district filed suit in Carbon County Court, seeking about $1,200 in unpaid nuisance taxes and penalties from Aucker and his wife, Scarlett. Schuylkill County Courthouse records show that Aucker also owes about $730 in real estate taxes on his Coaldale home. Aucker, who has been suspended without pay since August from his $69,000-a-year job, abruptly left the area in February.

Carbon County commissioners plan to use Pennsylvania's Right to Know law to help collect $555,780 residents owe for last year's occupational assessment tax. William O'Gurek, commission chairman, said he wants to get the names, addresses and employers of residents from six school districts that serve the county. O'Gurek said the districts would have that information because they collect earned income tax. The county, O'Gurek said, has tried in the past to get that information from the districts, but was turned down.

The Carbon County commissioners retained the current tax rate of 17 mills on real estate for the 17th consecutive year in tentatively adopting its 1985 budget yesterday. Although the three-man board unanimously agreed to maintain the same tax rate on real estate, the new budget lists more than $2 million in anticipated receipts and expenditures over the 1984 budget. The commissioners noted that the occupation assessment tax was eliminated but a $5 per capita tax was added for the 32,998 taxables in the county.

by CHRISTINA M. PARKER (A free-lance story for The Morning Call) | June 19, 1998

Taxpayers in the Panther Valley School District are still going to get socked, but school officials are working out ways to soften the blow of a double-digit tax increase by dividing the burden between wage earners and homeowners. Trouble is, the three possible solutions school officials are pondering could send occupational assessment taxes soaring by 100, 150 or even 280 percent. The district is faced with a property tax hike of at least 20 mills, or an 11.9 percent increase over this year.

By Lisa Price, Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | December 12, 2008

Carbon County commissioners adopted a $61 million budget for 2009 that holds the property tax rate at 6.893 mills. As part of the budget, commissioners eliminated an occupational assessment tax. On Thursday, commissioners attributed the county's ability to forego a tax increase to their success in getting grant money for projects, as well as sound fiscal management, such as reducing the county workman's compensation premium from $1.3 million in...

Complete results have been released for two ballot initiatives that passed Tuesday in Northampton County: a proposal to abolish Northampton Area School District's occupation tax, and a plan to raise taxes to preserve open space in Lower Saucon Township. The proposal to replace Northampton Area's occupational assessment tax with an earned income tax hike passed with "yes" votes from 6,743 residents, or about 60.46 percent of the 11,152 votes cast in the district Tuesday, according to unofficial Northampton County tallies.

Jim Thorpe Council recommended eliminating its full-time meter attendant position last night and giving the man who has held the job for 17 years the option of retiring or working part-time. Kenneth Ocker's position would be eliminated to balance the 1994 budget and save the borough $20,000 a year by 1995. Several residents and two police officers criticized council's recommendation to eliminate Ocker's job. "I think it's a slap in the face after 17 years," Patrolman Nick Kuzo said.

For the second straight year, Tamaqua Area School District residents would see no property tax increase under the district's proposed 2002-03 school budget. The $19.1 million budget got preliminary approval from the school board Tuesday. The board hopes to give it final approval by June 18. Under the plan, residents would continue to pay 26.86 mills of school property tax, meaning the owner of a home with a $15,000 tax assessment would again pay $403. Last year's budget was the first in four years not to raise taxes after the district increased its spending for a $17 million middle school project that was completed last year.

By Lisa Price, Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | December 12, 2008

Carbon County commissioners adopted a $61 million budget for 2009 that holds the property tax rate at 6.893 mills. As part of the budget, commissioners eliminated an occupational assessment tax. On Thursday, commissioners attributed the county's ability to forego a tax increase to their success in getting grant money for projects, as well as sound fiscal management, such as reducing the county workman's compensation premium from $1.3 million in...

By Spencer Soper and Tara Ballenger Of The Morning Call | July 30, 2007

When Whitehall Township employees report for work this morning, they probably won't be tackling the usual tasks of processing tax bills, helping residents get permits to build new decks or preparing the agenda for the next commissioners meeting. Instead, they'll slog through the charred, smoky and soaked remains of their workplace, assessing the damage of a Sunday morning fire that burned through the administrative building's roof, melted computers and threatened records from tax bills to development plans.

Complete results have been released for two ballot initiatives that passed Tuesday in Northampton County: a proposal to abolish Northampton Area School District's occupation tax, and a plan to raise taxes to preserve open space in Lower Saucon Township. The proposal to replace Northampton Area's occupational assessment tax with an earned income tax hike passed with "yes" votes from 6,743 residents, or about 60.46 percent of the 11,152 votes cast in the district Tuesday, according to unofficial Northampton County tallies.

Lehighton Borough Council has pulled the plug on a proposed cable television tax -- for now. "We have abandoned it for this time," council President Grant Hunsicker said after Monday's public meeting. "We thought maybe we needed to have more money [and considered the cable tax]. Instead of putting property taxes up, which only hits the people who own property, it would hit everyone who uses cable." But borough treasurer Ann E. Wilhelm presented a draft preliminary budget that indicates no need for a tax increase.

Voters in the Northampton Area School District have a chance on Election Day to scrap one of the district's most unpopular taxes. The occupational assessment tax -- which critics say is unfair and a pain to collect -- might be replaced by an income tax hike if voters say "yes" on a ballot question Tuesday. More than 90 percent of Pennsylvania school districts have already dropped the occupation tax, which is essentially a tax on a worker's job title. "I think its time has come to get rid of [it]

Saying Northampton Area School District's occupation tax is unfair, unpopular and a pain to collect, district officials are considering a plan to get rid of the tax for next year. The proposal to replace the "occupational assessment tax" with an income tax hike would have to win voters' support in a November referendum, and last year a similar plan didn't make it past the school board. But this year, many school board members are already backing the idea and have asked administrators to present the plan at a June 12 public hearing.

By FRED WALTER Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | June 27, 2001

The Pen Argyl Area School Board will consider a proposal to replace the occupational assessment tax with an increase in the earned-income tax. A pending state law would allow school boards to let voters decide on the switch by a referendum in the November general election. The board will discuss the proposal at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. July 31 after more details are obtained about the legislation, which is waiting for Gov. Tom Ridge's signature. Superintendent William Haberl said the occupational assessment tax has been considered a nuisance tax that is difficult to administer.

Panther Valley School Board voted last night to exempt housewives and retired persons from a 15 percent occupational assessment tax. The board acted on the recommendation of attorney Thomas McCready, solicitor, and Charles Nowack, business manager. McCready and Nowack based their recommendation on a recent court ruling. Dr. Richard Miller, superintendent, said the exemptions will cost the district $20,000 to $22,000. Final adoption of the district's budget is set for 7 p.m. June 27. McCready also reported the district received a $3,364.

Three in 10 people who were supposed to pay an occupational tax to Carbon County failed to do so in 2005. Carbon County commissioners voted Thursday to turn the list over to a company that pursues late taxes. The late taxes, which were reported by the county's 23 tax collectors, total $675,580. Officials said the 30 percent delinquent rate is the same as in past years, and Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said: "So are the names." Commissioner Chairman William O'Gurek said the late taxes trouble all three commissioners, but he said the county is reliant on the money the tax produces.

Lehighton Borough Council on Monday approved a budget that includes a 143 percent property tax increase and doubles the borough's occupation tax. But Councilman Robert Moser still wants to eliminate some spending to reduce the increase. Council can re-open the budget Jan. 3. Under the $2,569,765 budget, which council approved on a 6-1 vote, the occupation assessment tax would go from 3 to 6 mills and the property tax would rise 2.5 mills, from 1.75 to 4.25 mills. The budget is an increase of $242,600, or 10.4 percent, from this year's spending plan.